


Blood Born - [AU]

by Goldendoodlegamer11



Category: Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Cartoon 2018)
Genre: Adventure, Alliance Change, Alternate Universe, Betrayal, Brotherly Bonding, Crime Fighting, Gen, Half Angst Half Fun Adventure Joke Time, Happy Ending, Hidden City, I have no idea what I'm doing, I over-describe like my life depends on it, I promise, I usually do escape the night stuff this is new to me, Insane inventions brought to you by Donatello, Loss of Trust, Mikey screams a heck of a lot, Mystic weapons, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sucsessful Mission, Villains to Heroes, but I love this show, everything's in Autumn so it's really pretty, no Tcest, poor boy's scared of his own shadow, the other villains get kinda pushed to the side near the end
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-15
Updated: 2019-10-11
Packaged: 2020-01-12 18:53:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18452561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Goldendoodlegamer11/pseuds/Goldendoodlegamer11
Summary: Only two turtles managed to be saved from the fire.After being held back by Baron Draxum, discovered after a disastrous fire, Donnie and Mikey quickly become fierce fighters in the Battle Nexus, having little remorse and high skill in combat. Then, abruptly, they're tasked with their deadliest challenge yet: becoming spies in the ever-bustling town of New York. Make sure all is going according to plan. Recruit the strongest and best. Make an army.And two skilled ninja brothers aren't having any of that.Now unknowingly fighting their own brothers, the two villains have to decide what they really want; To embrace a family that they've never known, or to turn back to a home that they no longer trust.





	1. Before

"You don't have to do this."

"I don't have to do _this?_ _You're_ the one creating _horrifying mutants-!_ " Lou Jitsu's face is illuminated by the heavily rumbling thunder just outside. Broken glass stains the floor of the lab, and four of the Baron's specimens are nestled in the crook of his arm. Gas from the broken experiments cut into the corners of the colorful cyan and red-brown laboratory.

"My goal is to make fierce warriors, unstoppable warriors. I'm giving them your DNA, your genes! Why can't you understand that! They will grow up to become the most skilled fighters in this world, and you could help me train them!" He's stepped closer, horns angled menacingly at the former champion.  
"I don't want to help you! I don't want to have anything to do with this anymore! With the Battle Nexus or being the best fighter or you and your experiments-" He stops suddenly. "And I'll fight you, if that's what it takes for me to leave."

Baron Draxum is taken aback. Then he sighs. "If that is what it takes."

With no warning, Draxum lunges forward, jumping and extending his arms. Instantly, large magenta-purple tendrils explode from his hands, warping around the would-be-warrior. Rubble and wall falls away, and Lou Jitsu has to leap backwards. Quickly, Lou places the small specimens on the ground behind him, and leaps at Draxum, making the two tumble.  
Draxum quickly grips onto Lou's ankles, swinging him towards a wall. Without reacting, Draxum stomps the group, making it shake. Lou Jitsu grabs the nearest grey pipe and swings himself around, grappling onto it as the world underneath near-collapses. 

Lou grabs the weapon nearest to him, a shorter iron sword, and swings the blunt end into Draxum's shoulder, catapulting himself back. Draxum extends his arms, and once more the purple extremities fly out. Lou grabs one as Draxum pulls them back into his hands and punches him. The mutant lets out a ferocious roar and grabs the champion's shoulder, throwing him, hard, against the chambers. 

He screams in pain before falling. He lands hard on his hands and knees, splayed out like a crooked starfish.  
His breaths are ragged and staggering; he can't think.

Draxum walks towards him. His voice is dangerously low.

 

"Now, I'll ask again. Give me my warriors back."  
He can barely look up. Glass scatters across his gloves, and pain makes him falter. "They're not yours."

Draxum doesn't see the match. Or the gas below it. Before he knows it, Lou Jitsu's stood up. His jet-black hairs' messy and cluttered, his apple-red and blue-grey battle outfit torn. Draxum would grind him to sand if it wasn't for the look in the warrior's eyes; determined, and _angry._

"-And I'm going to make sure you can't turn anyone, _ever again_."   
" _NO!-_ " Lou Jitsu drops the match.

Instantly, it ignites with the gas, and fire spreads wildly, flickering and then catching, and a large _FOOM_ makes Draxum stagger backwards. His falls, and a piece of dark smoky debris falls over his arm and part of his chest. Pain explodes across his forearm as flames ignite and eat up his lab, crackling dangerously. He can just make out Lou sprinting, jumping over fallen pipes and inventions to where the experiments lay.  
Draxum quickly whips a tendril towards Lou, pulling him down. Blackened and battered heather-grey smoke begins to fill up the lab as Draxum repeats, "no," under his breath a multitude of times.  Lou's gotten up and is running towards the small mutant turtles. The Baron gathers his strength, rapidly flinging the debris across the lab at him. Lou just manages to duck, face still hardened. 

Draxum quickly launches himself at the warrior, just as a chamber near the top of the lab lets out a heavy creak and falls. It's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, Lou winking at him. Then everything seems to slow. Lou shoves Draxum, hard, out of the way of the falling experiment chamber, and flames begin to eat them both up. Smoke and pain are swimming in the yokai mutant's head. Lou jumps over a pipe. An explosion. More falling debris. Screaming in the distance.  
The turtles fly out of Lou's arms.  
  
Another explosion, and Draxum collapses.

 

He's not quite sure when he regains consciousness. His hands are covered in soot and crumbled ash. Dark thick grey-brown smoke swirls around, constricting his breath. Colours blur together, and shape edges slide and mix. He stands uneasily, dread and failure climbing up his limbs. Draxum surveys the damage; nearly all of it is completely destroyed, debris and lab parts scattered. Most of the walls remain intact, however.   
Lethargic, defeated, he stands. All his plans come falling apart. He needed those turtles.

And they're all burned up, probably horribly crisp at this point.  
He stumbles through the ruins, throat full of smoke, unable to speak.  
Suddenly, he trips. There, between the heather-brown earth and broken pipes and continuously blazing fire, are two specimens. The softened mud and debris seems to have crumbled around them, forming a small sort of nest. Draxum's eyes widen as he bends down to gingerly scoop them up. Both breathing, alive, but terribly bruised.

Despite this, Draxum smiles. His plan might not be failure after all.

-

Lou Jitsu's been running for what feels like hours. 

His breath is ragged and his pants are torn and patched, and he can't feel anything but _run._ Two small mutant turtles are nestled between his arms, tired, and tears burn the back of his retinas. He let two of them slip through; he lost two of them. He couldn't save them all. _Run. You can get them in the morning if you have to._ The forest is completely mixed with colour: terra-cotta, strawberry, blue-grey; he doesn't even register that his feet have touched grass until a shoe comes flying off.  
Where are we running to? His brain questions. _You can't go home._

The realization hits him like a truck, and Lou slows, letting his knees sink into the ground. In his arms, the smaller one's fallen asleep. The much bigger one, however, looks up at him his curious trusting eyes. "Hey, little Red, I need you to take a nap, okay? Go back to sleep."

He's absolutely insane for talking to a turtle, he knows, but suddenly it nods, yawns, and tucks his head into his arms, wrapping them around the smaller one. Huh. Okay. Sure. 

He's talked and/or beat the crap out of other mutants before, so it at least makes some sense. "I uh - I lost some of your brothers, I know, I'm so sorry -" The snapping turtle seems to be ignoring him now. "But we're gonna get them back, okay? I promise." 

 

If he can't get them back, he'll gladly mutate himself into a rat. 

-

"Can you read to us?" The softshell asks, holding up a violet-blue book. Draxum is almost caught-off guard; couldn't the two read to themselves? He thought as mutants they'd at least be able to have the literacy skills of Lou Jitsu. Nevertheless, he supposes one story couldn't hurt. But he'll expect them to read on their own from now on.

  
"Alright, one story." He sits on the rainbow-coloured carpet and takes the book.

The room itself is small enough, with caked clay-like reddish-brown walls. There are two "beds" that are more like small plush doggie beds he had found, one a coral and the other turquoise, both with a multitude of red and violet-blue blankets. Two other beds sit discarded in the corner. A rainbow coloured circle rug sits in the middle, surrounded by a few toys. Currently, the box turtle is playing with a small rubber duck.

Draxum even managed to make a small bull-rush-lilypadded pond for the softshell, and a small boxed-in glass container filled with a cactus and peach-yellow sand for the box turtle. And above it all is a picture of the Baron himself, looking down at the room. A secret room that the two specimens have yet to discover.

 

He begins to read. "'Once there lived a fearsome dragon that lived at the top of a mountain. It would come down, raging fire against villages and towns-'" Almost immediately, the tiny box turtle gasps, hiding underneath his blanket. Baron Draxum yanks it from his hands.

"If you cannot learn to handle one fearsome dragon, a fearsome _warrior_ you will not become. Do you understand?"

The younger specimen nods, whimpering slightly. Draxum lets out a heavy sigh, the sigh of someone losing their patience, fast. "Listen, I want you two to become fierce fighters in the Battle Nexus, and hopefully once you have grown you can go out into the world and help me with my bigger plans."

 

"Bigger like what?" The older softshell asks, resting his hands on the Baron's leg, eyes gleaming; Draxum barely suppresses a smile.

The softshell always seemed more eager to learn about what he had in store for the both of them, and Baron Draxum could hardly ever stop himself from slightly gushing over his plans and how proud he would be of them for completing it.

But, for now, he just pats the smaller turtle's head. "Soon, young one, you will learn."

 

"But I wanna learn now!" He retaliates sharply. Instantly, the box turtle snuggles up to his brother and snaps his head up. "Yeah!" He chirps happily, the story's dragon forgotten.

"At least let us do something new!" The softshell continues. "We've been in our room for five days which is _forever and ever._ " Baron hums thoughtfully, thinking it over. They _could_ do with something new, though not major. After all, the softshell is only around four years old, his brother a year younger. 

"Alright, fine, how about..." Draxum stands up, and abruptly an idea comes to him. He turns to his proud protege. "If you are to be tough fighters, you must have a name that strikes fear into the hearts of all who hear it." The older specimen gasps excitedly. Draxum leaves, getting up to the corner of the room where the other books are stacked. They're random, taken from the hotel library and kept here for them to read.  
One catches his eye; a battered book of Renaissance Art.

 

He sits down, scanning the different names as the two small turtles crowd around him. Occasionally, he glances back at them to see if the name fits. Finally, he sees one.

"Michelangelo."

"Ooh, I want that one!" The box turtle squeals excitedly, pointing at the picture of the accompanying face. Draxum looks at the softshell, waiting for an objection of some sort. But he just shrugs.

"I don't want that name. I think it fits you though," he says to his brother, who beams. 

 

Draxum flips through more. "Bernini." The softshell snorts. "Ew no! That makes me sound like an old man!" He laughs.  
"These _are_ old men," Draxum says simply, but nontheless continues looking. Suddenly, the small turtle jabs his finger at one of them. "I like that one! 'Donatello.' It makes me sound classy." 

While the box tur - erm, Michelangelo, - shouts this new name into the room, occasionally messing up and yelling, "Tello! Teltello!" Draxum smiles, and nods approvingly. "Good names for to-be strong warriors. Now, Michelangelo, Donatello; to bed."

He tucks them in, shuts off a light, only leaving the peeling glow-in-the-dark stars, gripping the book of Old Renaissance Art. He steps outside; a large pipe just outside the Grand Nexus Hotel. He looks out into the quiet night, and then into the melted pond and bull-rushes next to him, next to a storm drain.  
Draxum thinks.

He drops the book into the sewer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so excited to write this oml he l p-  
> This literally took me over a month to publish because I was so unsure of what the heck I was doing hnnn- I usually do Escape the Night stuff so this is the first rottmnt I'm doing plz bear with me *scared wheeze*  
> Anyways, I hope you all enjoy! It's gonna be one heck of an adventure -


	2. Mystic Presents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two young mutants sit up in their rooms, an attic in a hotel, waiting for something, anything, to let them prove themselves. Mainly, Mikey is hungry 90% of the time, Donnie is still a techno-wiz, and there's something off about this new world..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first chapter for me is always so fun to write hah - Enjoy chapter one, the first in quite a few!

**_- 10 years later -_  
** **_-_ **

"What's for breakfast?"  "Crayfish. Watermelon. Toast." 

"Gross," Mikey grins. They're both sat the table, listening to the chatter outside. Mikey takes a small quick peek at their surroundings through the half-window. He can see people's legs as they walk by, and Autumn leaves dappling the waking up peach-coloured sky. It's raining lightly. "You think today'll be the day?" He wonders wistfully. 

"Probably not," Donnie answers honestly. "We haven't been allowed outside for months, why would today be any different?"

Mikey sighs. "I guess." They've been trapped to be within their small attic hotel room of Big Mama's Nexus Hotel for a week now, unsure why, not allowed to ask questions. It's cozy enough, spruced up, the walls and floor a soft reddish-brown colour. Their two beds, both a dull red, are on opposite sides with a small half-window between them, and there's a small kitchen section with a dining table and mismatched food on the counters. And although Donnie can't stand to agree with Mikey, it's torture, being cooped up.

He'd rather be _outside_ than this, which says something.

 

Mikey leans over and unlatches the window for a quick second, and earthy cool air fills the air. It quickly fades, no match for the warmth inside their room. While he raids the cupboards and fridge in search of something to eat, Donnie flicks on the TV. As he's flipping through channels Mikey sits down next to him, carrying an assortment of cereal, waffles, and blueberries from last night. "But why would he keep us up here like this? It's getting really cramped in my opinion." Mikey ventures, shoving a spoonful of sugary cereal into his mouth.  Donnie shudders. 

The two stay in almost deafening silence for a minute, the only sounds Mikey's aggravating chewing and the TV's noise. Donnie stands restlessly. 

 

"I say we sneak out," He says simply. Mikey nods, placing on his black mask, and the two slide over to the pull-out stairway, crouching down. From the slight corner, Donnie can see a shade of the bright red carpet, and two of the yokai guards in their navy-blue bellhop outfits.

"I think one's coming up to check," Mikey reports, and out of nowhere, the stairs pull down, and the wildebeest yokai the two have dubbed Rodger (who had that coming, never telling them his name,) emerges. In an instant, the two turtles have successfully lunged at him. Mikey quickly pins the yokai's arm behind him back, and Donnie himself's swung around, pushing his head down. 

"ARRGH!" He roars. " _Get offa me!_ " He shouts loudly, clawing at the air angrily in an attempt to grab one of the brothers. "YOU MANGY OBNOXIOUS -"

 

Suddenly, the yokai fox comes through their floor, holding a clipboard. "You two - Draxum needs to speak with you." They share a quick look. They haven't seen the Baron in weeks.

"Yep," They chorus, and he leaves. _Not even going to notice the fight clearly going on here? The escape attempt? No?_ Donnie thinks, mildly alarmed at the lack of the fox's attention. He looks down at Rodger. "Hey, I didn't know you knew all those big words, Rod."

 

He accidentally lets his fingers slip slightly, and Rodger takes the opportunity to grab both of their shells, throwing the two against the opposite wall. Donnie quickly angles his feet to hit the wall and he stumbles but manages to stay upright while on the floor, while Mikey gets hit right in the middle of the shell, quite hard, and falls. "Ah," He winces, standing back up.

Donnie shoves him slightly. "Who's the softshell now?" "Still you." Mikey grins. 

" _Both of you,_ " Rodger commands, voice booming. "Draxum. Now."

-

Rodger and the owl yokai, Henry, guide the two to Draxum's lair. Underneath the towering buildings of New York, yokai of all kinds scramble around in the Hidden City. Donnie's always been completely fascinated with it and has gotten almost every detail completely down; the different shops selling all kinds of useful items from clothing to food to weapons; the different kinds of sharp-edged buildings alongside the distant landmarks and statues; the colour scheme of purple-blues mixing with fern greens and sunrise yellow-orange; the docking ships in the glooping teal waves below the Dreadful Docks; the base of everything, the large fern green skull with the glowing lime green eyes, staring at everyone as they walk by. Even in the early morning, the glow and hum of the place is ever-present. As they walk by, a few of the yokai stare at them, whispering to each-other. "The Battle Nexus National Champions..." "What're _they_ doing here?" "Probably come to _flaunt their status_ over everyone. How humble of them." "Well, they _are_ Draxum's best warriors..."

Donnie whips his head by the small clustering group, who promptly shut up, looking scared out of their wits. _Good,_ Donnie thinks haughtily, catching up with the bellhops again. _They should be._

They come upon a lab, and the two enter, with the bellhops standing just outside. Odd potions swirls with unknown liquid, and giant tubes spiral down, connecting to two different types of lime green chambers. In the center, a giant tower looms, keeping the place up.  Right in front of it. There stands Baron Draxum. His back is to them, but Donnie can tell he looks tired.

 

His shoulders are slightly hunched over, with ragged breaths and slightly slanted posture. Perfect to be able to target one of his legs, or overtake one of his shoulders and smash into a weak point with a weapon. But he also has a sort of insane aura about him, excited and prepared. The aura of someone who either knows exactly what they're doing, or has lost their minds. Not an opponent to mess with.

"Ah - my protege." His voice is enough to shake Donnie out of his battle thoughts. "I'm glad to see you. I've been working on something important - something I've just recently begun to complete."

 They both bow down slightly, and the Baron turns around. "Michelangelo. Donatello. - the reason I had you stay in your room for so long, waiting for an opportunity - I've recently completed an experiment that is about to shake the very face of the earth that you stand on. It will change everything - and I need you two to help me." Donnie nearly gasps from excitement, but he holds his tongue. A mission! Finally! Something to _do!_

 

"I need you two to leave the Grand Nexus Hotel - your entire world, all of it, go up to the surface-"

Beside him, Mikey gives a small gasp. "...I am going to be releasing my newest creations, small mosquito-like mutants that will mutate _everyone._  Your tasks will be to make sure they get out to everyone. While you're out there, I need you to find two specific mutants. Your goal will be to bring them back to me. And I will give you new weapons - when combined with the new mutants, you will all be far more powerful - nothing will be the same." They both stand back up.

"You mean like in the Battle Nexus?" Mikey asks, clearly not remembering the "go to the surface" part of that.

"No, this is far bigger than Big Mama and her _useless_ Battle Nexus. It is merely good enough for training, to up a point, but my plans toy with the very fate of this world." Donnie's head reels with new information, but can't process it all before Draxum points to a hallway. "Follow me."

 

 _We've never been allowed to leave the Hotel until now...and he's done something obviously important - why us, though? Sure, he's trained us himself, but it doesn't make any sense. Why not one of his accomplices? Why doesn't he do it himself?_ The gears in his brain turn wildly as they walk down the dim heather-brown hallway. Mikey glances at his direction, then turns back.

They reach the weapons room. Standard weapons hang on the walls; nun-chucks, swords, daitos, shurikens, and all types of others.

 

There, at the very end of the hallway.

Two glowing weapons are hung on small hooks.

 

"Do you know what these weapons are?" Draxum asks. Donnie's nearly speechless. The weapons are breathtaking. One is a kusari fundo, spiraling with a yellow-orange painted yo-yo at the end, the other a kusarigama, large and shining in a purple-blue hue. Draxum's next words startle him. "These are yours."

"Whoa!-" Mikey starts, then stops himself. "Than you, sensei." He walks up to it first and picks the kusari fundo in his hands. "These weapons have special abilities that can advance your fighting skills. You will be using them when you go to the surface, and you are not to use them until then."

 

He pauses, and Donnie takes his newly crafted weapon. It's beautifully designed, humming with mystic and scientific energy. He might cry. He can hear the rumble of thunder from somewhere, sounding like it comes from deep within the weapon. Goosebumps make him shiver.

"Now, you two are to go back into the room. I will provide you with all the necessary requirements and information you will need. This information will be in the form of a small bag. You will leave early in the morning and find me these mutants. I may send out my minions to check up on your progress occasionally. Leave me now. And do _not_ disappoint me.

The two bow quickly. "Yes, sensei." And Donnie ushers Mikey out, the new weapon buzzing in his hands. He can't _wait_ for tomorrow.

-

The two can barely even think of going to sleep after the news. Donnie doesn't know what to do.

They could be doing what they've _been_ doing for the past week, training hard for an upcoming test, trying to sneak out in a multitude of ways and secret stairways, passageways and paintings, and then give up and have dinner while watching a movie, most likely Spiderman: Into The Spider-verse for the thousandth time. Draxum's only put karate movies and superhero movies since they were little, the only purpose being for them to come up with ways to beat the hero and where the villain might've gone wrong. Sure, _now_ they're allowed to watch whatever, but the movies still have a place in their hearts. As Donnie digs into his dinner, mushroom soup and steak, he turns to Mikey. "So, tomorrow we're going, right?"

Mikey nods, slurping excitedly. "I can't wait! Just think of all the cool adventures we'll have!" He squeals, and Donnie can't help but be caught up in the excitement as well. "We'll go early in the morning and scout out the area, then release the mosquito mutants and connect the weapons and finally go outside!-" He throws the bowl into the air, and mushroom soup arcs and falls all over Mikey's back. 

"Ugh, Mikey," Donnie scolds tiredly. "Now the couch's gonna smell." His eyes suddenly light up. "Hey, I've been meaning to try something-"

 

"Donnie, for the last time, you can't use your experiments up here in this tiny space - I don't want to have my attic explode, thank you very much." "No no, it'll be fine this time -" Donnie snatches up his newest brainchild from the box in the corner. Usually, he'd have an entire lab beneath the hotel to work with, but they've been quarantined, so he has to work with what he has.

He takes out a brand new invention of his and places it on the couch. Mikey leans over, still dribbled with mushroom soup. "What is it?" 

"I'm glad you asked - I found some spare high-grade titanium in the back of the building, along with some sleek mystic sapphires, I present to you-" He pauses. "The C.L.E.A.N! The Carbon-based Levitating 2100 Era Automatic Neutralizer!"

"Uh...huh. It looks cool! Can I touch it?"

Donnie picks the small circular cleaner up into his arms. "No you cannot touch it. It's very sensitive." He sets it back down. The small white hovering device hums with purple before hovering over the couch. Immediately, it begins to suck up the mess left there. Mikey gasps.

 

"Whoa!" He moves and nestles into his bed, pulling the covers over himself. "I'll never doubt you again, alright?" And Donnie, despite himself, grins. Quickly turning the TV towards them, Donnie sits on his bed, and immediately the attic's censors kick in and dim the lights. He looks over at the small hickory-brown satchel they've been given, and his new weapon. Mikey nestles into his covers, watching the show currently on (a re-run of an old show - Third Rock from the Sun) while Donnie takes his new weapon in his hands.

It hums again, almost connecting to him in a weird way. A few magenta-coloured grips near the bottom are electromagnetic. Donnie takes two of the small magnetic gloves that come with it, and the weapon's grip lock onto his hands. "Whoa," He mutters quietly, smiling. Possibilities and improvements whirlwind in his head overwhelmingly, making him dizzy.

 He needs to clear his head. Especially with their first big mission coming up.

 

Donnie slots his weapon into his place-holder. "I'm going to the library." "Alright, be back soon," Mikey says. And then, repeating their usual reminders, "Remember-" They're supposed to say it often, but they mainly say it as a joke - something to say if someone might be turning traitor.

They recite at the same time. "Don't go Lou Jitsu."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a lot longer in my head pfft-anyways. Did you pick up the small things that might've been different in this universe..?  
> Next Chapter: Meanwhile while this is all going on, two red and blue bandana-donned mutants hide under the city streets, about to go on a very important mission...


	3. Attack Of The A-Team

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raph and Leo attempt to go on a successful mission to get new weapons and get a lot more than they bargained for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S BACK BABY! Sorry this took so long to come out I kinda had to trudge through this one and then I ended up re-writing like,, everything hnn- but I like it a lot more now! And yes I have like huge plans for Leatherhead don't mind me - hopefully everything will start to pick up soon! 
> 
> (Also let's just pretend that larkspur can create invisibility and that this Leatherhead is a big softie who just wants to be a good business owner don't mind me-)

"Hey, Raph - wake up."

The snapper turtle blinks blearily. The darkened room comes into focus, and he sees Leo, the red-eared slider's eyebrows scrunched together in worry. "We have a big situation."   
Raph rolls over to the other side of his hammock. "Is this a the-pizza-is-stuck-to-the-top-of-the-microwave kind of big situation, or an actual threat?" He grumbles, still hazing in and out of consciousness.

"Actual threat kind of danger!" Leo groans, pulling at his brother's arm. "Common, get up, this is serious!"

Raph eventually complies and joins Leo, where the other turtle is looking and pointing frantically out the window. He looks, and it takes a second for his vision to clear, but his jaw drops. All over the sky, a swarm of green insects have begun to charge across the sky with a dull hum. Raph rubs at his eyes; they're still there.  
"What in the heck is that?"

"Some sorta mutant, I dunno, bug things?" Leo shrugs. "There's so many of them." They watch the bugs swarm across the sky. After a few minutes, it seems like they've all dispersed. Raph shrugs. "I don't really see how this is an 'actual threat kind of danger.'"

"Mutated! Bugs!" Leo enunciates. Raph still feels pretty unruffled. "Probably just a new species, that happens every few years."

"Does it?" Leo mutters under his breath, unconvinced. "Somehow, I doesn't think that the ecosystem just decided to make a whole new clearly-mutated looking species of bug." Nonetheless, he leaves to get breakfast as Raph addresses their newest mission.

 

"Alright, so as you know, last week we lost our weapons to those Foot freaks while we battled them on that paper ship or whatever." Leo nods as sits down at the table, water shining off the dark turquoise walls. "I recently found a whole new system in the sewers that lead to this one mutant alligator’s shop. He sells weapons, and I think if we-"

" _Whoawhoawhoa,_ hang on, there's a _mutant_ crocodile in _our_ sewer, and you didn't tell me!?" Leo sits up more in his chair in alarm. "We've never even seen another mutant before other than dad - and there's one here!" He leans back a bit. "Must be our sewer that attracts all the freaks. Maybe a radioactive spill." He mutters, ending the conversation he's seemed to just have with himself.

Sometimes if Leo goes on a tangent, it's best to let him finish. Not in the middle of a battle, obviously, but for moments in-between, it's better than being interrupted every three seconds with a complete explosion of his brother's random thoughts and rambles.  
Now, Raph clears his throat. "Anyway." He draws out. "If we do a favor for him, he'll let us have some of his weapons for free. I'm thinking we should head over there now. Crime doesn't fight itself, after all!" 

"But breakfast-"

"No time! Let's go!"

 -

"Are you sure this is the place?" Raph asks, holding the map. "You said it was to the left."  
"Right."  
"Right?"  
"No, to the left."  
"Right."  
"No-ah, I see what we're doing." Leo grins. The two have been walking for who-knew-how-long in the long twisting sewer pipe. A very soggy map sat in Raph's giant hands, out-lining the place they were supposed to be going.

As they walk, the ground beneath them starts to become more swamp-like. Small bull-rushes stick up from cracks in the giant pipe they're in, and the ground turns to some patchy olive-green grass that turns into sticky swampy fern and teal green water. Dragonflies flicker about, and suddenly below them the pipe opens up into a much bigger, if still slightly narrower, area. The entire area is not exactly lit, having just a bunch of brown lanterns that give off a glow.  
"Charming," Leo mutters uneasily.

They see a small tan-taiga coloured shack up ahead, and Leo grins. "There it is!" The two walk up to it, and the shop reads -  _Leatherhead's; Sais, Tonfas, Weapons. -_  on a swinging wooden sign. "This is the place!"  
They enter, and it's apparently bigger on the inside. There’s a small enough room with a small swirling green-and-turquoise-blue rug and table, and shelves and shelves with all sorts of weapons, the small glow-worms that act as the light alongside a few bright lanterns, but Leo can see a ladder that he guesses goes into even more types of weapons. 

 _I just know that I really want a new sword,_ he thinks wistfully. 

The two approach the counter, where a large alligator, a sea green and lime colour, bright amber eyes practically glowing through the slight darkness, is standing there, slightly hunched. He has on a small straw hat and other attire. He looks over the boys. “You two the ones I contacted earlier?”  
  
_Yeah, so there’s a mutant alligator, but you won’t believe in mutant bugs? Seems legit,_ he thinks bitterly to himself, looking over at Raph. 

“That’s us!” Raps says cheerfully as Leo walks around the shop, examining all the different weapons. Some he’s never even seen before.

  
Nonetheless, even if Raph is being a little hypocritical, this side-mission does seem pretty cool. Leo grins crookedly. Apart from the swamp smell, of course. The alligator hunches more over the counter, looking relieved.

”Good. I could use some guards. I just don’t get it - my weapons keep getting stolen, but I never even notice until it’s too late. The thieves are clearly hidden in plain sight, I know it.” Raph _hmm_ s, thinking, while Leo decides to look around more. "So how long has this been happening?"  
"A week straight." Leo turns and is cut off by a sharp corner. He groans and rubs his nose, and suddenly notices something. "Hey Raph, come sniff this corner."

He does, and the two both proceed to sniff the corner of the shelf. Leatherhead cocks his head to the side, blinking in a mix of mild concern and _why-did-I-invite-these-two-idiots-to-my-shop-to-help-me_ regret. "You fellas alright over there?"

Raph suddenly snaps his fingers. "It's larkspur flower! I bet they mixed this in with some spider eyes to make an invisibility potion or somethin'. That's how they've been able to do all that crazy stealing without getting noticed!"

 

"But larkspur spoils in 7 days when cut," Leatherhead mutters, wringing his hands. Leo snaps his fingers, eyes widening in realization. "That's why your robberies have been going on for a week!"

The alligator looks hopeful, but his eyebrows still twist in confusion. "But it doesn't have a lingering smell...which means -"

 

And suddenly Leo's knocked over. Two dark-clad bandits storm past, the invisibility potion wearing off like running water-colours like in front of their eyes. They book it out the door as Raph screams for them to stop. Leo rights himself, and the two book it after them. Leo feels the wooden porch morph into soft soggy grass. _Ew._  
  
"Stop right there, criminal scum!" Leo bellows out, and he sees a broken swingset just close to the shop. He quickly grabs it, swinging it around. He throws it, still holding on, and it knocks the two aside. Meanwhile, Raph smashes the ground beside them, which throws them towards the small swampy pond. One gets up and keeps running. Leo jumps, pinning down the one still in the pond as Raph grabs the strap that holds all the vials of invisibility and tightens it. The thief gasps and Raph quickly grabs the stolen weapons from his bag at the same time as Leo.  
"We got it!'   
"Boo-yah!" Raph grins, releasing the one thief as Leo releases his, who both run away back through the sewer pipes. Leo gets up, high-fiving his brother. "Now let's back in there and tell that shopkeeper we got his thieves!"

They head back, Leo dusting himself off, and once they go into the shop Leo shows him all the stolen weapons. He dumps them onto the counter. The alligator looks surprised. "Jeez - you fellas actually did it! Those two really stalled business, feel free to pick out some weapons. At least this time I'm giving em' out genuinely." He laughs, a crackly sound that unnerves the red-eared slider. But this means they get brand new weapons!

Leo grins and begins looking again, and then suddenly stops. Raph is standing over The Lost & Found box. Leo joins him, and realizes to his astonishment that there's a bag that's glowing. Rah picks it up, and inside are two red and blue glowing weapons; tonfas and a Odachi sword. 

 

"Whoa! Hey Mr. Leatherhead-" He holds them up. "Can we take these??"  
"Sure," He shrugs, and goes back to his work. He and Leo grin at each-other, Leo grabbing the Odachi, and instantly electricity crackles along his hand. "Whooooaaa," He mutters, utterly awed. The weapon feels amazing, and looks so _epic._ "Let's go back and see what these bad boys can do!" Raph grins, and they run out.

 _"Best day ever!"_ Leo cheers, although he can't help but wonder how someone left something so valuable just out for anyone to take...

 

-

 _**-Two Hours Earlier -**_ _**  
** _

_**-** _

"Donnie, wake up! It's time!" Donnie's up in a second. Immediately, the attic's sensors kick in and the lights are on and bright. Outside, a storm rumbles loudly. "I've already made you a quick breakfast," Mikey tells him, currently shoveling food into his own mouth like his life depends on it.

Donnie grabs breakfast, and he's genuinely grateful. He's no culinary artist, but in his opinion Mikey's a pretty great chef, cooking up concoctions and being able to replicate quite a few of the recipes they'd learned via mis-matched cookbooks the library had offered them. Donnie stands, taking the kusarigama into his hands. It crackles with magenta and purple-blue energy that feels practically electric, and he grins. "Ah man, if only I could get my hands on some more high-grade titanium - I'd be able to add all sorts of insane weapons into this baby!" He grins at the possibilities.

Mikey rolls his eyes, but doesn't comment. Instead, he sits on the table, leaning back to crane his neck upwards at the ceiling. Small drips leak through and hits their bucket, which _clank_ at the bottom.

 

"Big Mama said she wanted us to be down in the main lobby as fast we "skedaddle-doo," to put it into her words."  
"Ah, she's still doing the whole blatant gibberish thing."  
"Pretty much."

The two hardly find Big Mama weird - frankly, Donnie finds her _terrifying_ in Jurogumo form - they'd just grown up always having her around.

  
She was always sweet-sounding and kind to them, if not slightly distant. Donnie remembered her being angry, for sure, fighting off enemies or simply fighting with Draxum due to banter-gone-wrong. One specific time, he had been working in his lab on a new type of tangible light that would be able to act as a trap but still be controllable when he had caused a power surge.  
All light in the whole hotel had shut off during a party that was going on upstairs. Big Mama had been furious. There was an explosive fight with Draxum, resulting in Donnie being banned from the Battle Nexus for a full month, leaving the place with only one champion.

He hadn't been bitter with the Nexus manager, though. Although the soft-shell was a lot wearier around her now.

"What does she want with us?"  
"I think she's giving instructions on basically what to do and luck and all that!"

 

Donnie finishes up eating and the two drop down the golden-brown stairs, right into the head of one of the yokai. The poor chestnut-maned lion yokai growls at them and walks off, rubbing at his head and grumbling angrily to himself a few choice words. Donnie quickly throws his hands over Mikey's ears. "Well you shouldn'tve been standing there then!"

They walk down the hallway lined with red carpet. The storm continuously rages from outside as people emerge from their rooms to go get breakfast. A few violet-blue sirens chat beside them, while a hedgehog yokai snuffles past.  
"Huh, I guess everyone's coming to this thing."

Mikey nods, then grins. "Or they're just going to breakfast."

  
"Is food all you can think about?"  
"I'm a food connoisseur, Donathan. I'm supposed to constantly keep my eyes open for ways to make my culinary arts better!"

"You know if Draxum finds out you dare have hobbies, he'll make you train twice as hard. He might even send you down a rank." Getting sent down a rank in The Battle Nexus was like a death sentence.

When someone moved down a rank, the next person didn’t just take their place. No, people had to fight for that spot. Everyone even mildly in the ranks were excellent fighters, and if you happened to be dropped a peg, it would only be a matter of seconds before that spot would be snatched up. Not just that, but you would automatically be sent down 20 ranks.

It could take months or even years just to get your original spot back.

And it would sometimes take blood.

 

Mikey adjusts his mask, clearly trying not to seem unsettled by the threat. "Well pops-" Mikey catches his slip. A few of the yokai look his way, and he quickly clears his throat. "Sensei Draxum allows you to experiment in your lab all day! That's for sure a hobby!" Donnie rolls his eyes.

"Yeah, but I make weapons for him and the yokai.  It's not like I do it for fun - it's to genetically and scientifically engineer inventions that will improve mutant abilities and weaponry to greatly -"  
"Ooh look!" Mikey says quickly. "We're at the lobby."

The two make their way down the stairs. There's a small step with a crack that used to be there, and he remembers Mikey tripping over it near-constantly. But now it's all smoothed out, a pretty chestnut-brown colour. The lobby is filled with gorgeous red carpets, ancient grandfather clocks, red couches, and a few party decorations that clash horribly with it. There is Big Mama, in her human form. And Baron Draxum. A few of the yokai, additionally disguised as humans, about to open the hotel for the day. "Boys," The Jurogumo greets.  
"Big Mama," The two reply in unison, bowing slightly.

"Now, today you two boys are off to see the big city for the first time, how exciting! Although I do hate the idea of losing my two best Battle Nexus champions for a while, but I'm sure we can manage for a little twinkitytwonk."  
Donnie resists the urge to roll his eyes. “Now then, you both have your little knapsacks for this splendifferous expedition - and I trust that Draxum has some form of following your progress to make sure my battle warriors are not scratched up.”

Baron Draxum looks at her and almost seems like he’s about to protest, but he stops himself. “Yes - I have two communication crystals, and every so often I will have Huginn and Muninn show up to check how you are doing.”

"The boss is right!” The small narrow-faced gargoyle sat on Draxum’s shoulders says airily. “We’ll be like your own personal bodyguards!”

"Keeping you from danger, fighting bad guys who try to stop you,” Muninn, the more frog-faced gargoyle mumbles excitedly, floating just mere inches off of his boss’s other shoulder.

Donnie doesn’t like the idea of their “bodyguards” being small mutants no bigger than small dogs, but he has to accept it. They nuisances, but if they're required he has no reason to question his sensei's decision on the matter. 

 

"Now, I will activate your bags." Draxum steps forward, a small flat lime green crystal in hand, and he swipes it over both hickory-brown knapsacks, and a hum sounds from inside the bags. "Take these. You can swipe them, and your bag will hold the items you need in a certain emergency situation." Mikey peeks inside, and Donnie follows suit, barely managing to keep himself from exclaiming 'Whoa!" The bottom of the bag seems to just not exist, as hundreds of items line the walls of the glowing electric blue light, a seemingly endless drop of tunnel.

"That is all you will require."  
"That's it?" Donnie half-jokes under his breath. Draxum gives him a firm look, but ignores the comment. 

"These," Draxum says, suddenly very loudly. "will also give you more powers as you obtain more weapons." He takes a moment.

 

"Now go forth, and don't come back until you've mutated all of New York City." He goes up to the two and gives them pats on the shoulders. He and the other guards leave, and Donnie feels his heart practically jack-hammering in his chest. The hotel life seems to bustle from there;

People and disguised yokai move in and out, a few of the mutants heading to the dining hall, waving at them goodbye. He can hear a few "good luck!"s mixed in there, too. _Obviously no nexus warriors are here,_ Donnie thinks. _They'd be practically kicking us out themselves so they could get our spots._

They head to the elevator, Mikey picking out all of the different items in their newly-activated bags, and slipping his own brand new weapon inside. _"Mikey!"_ He hisses. "There's hundreds of items in there!" He pounds his own weapon onto the carpeted floor, which crackles menacingly.  
The box turtle shrugs with a dorky smile. "I'm sure when I need it it'll be there - just like Draxum said!"

But then he re-thinks, takes out his own weapon, and slips inside the red and blue weapons meant for the other champions. Which is somehow _worse._

Donnie groans, fighting between hitting his brother over the head and trusting their sensei. He gives in to the latter, and sighs.

 

He's too anxious to speak out, anyway.

 -

The two sit on the rooftop of the Grand Nexus Hotel. The storm has stopped by this point and has now been replaced by a settled sunrise. The two have been allowed up on the roof before, but always at night. Never during the day, where they could be spotted and Big Mama's operation could be shut down. It's never happened, but some of the acts of the other mutants had sometimes attracted unwanted attention. Here, the whole city practically gleamed. Light shines off the buildings, life bustles underneath tall skyscrapers and buildings, and the air smells so much more different. Still, kinda gross, but different.

_New York. What a town.  
_

"Alright Mikey, you ready?" His brother grins and nods firmly. They grab ahold of the giant jar, full of the yokai mosquitoes. Donnie uncorks the top, and they tilt the jar. In an instant, the mass wave of purple and green mosquitoes flitter about, swarming at alarming speed towards the city. The two watch them go, and Donnie reaches into his knapsack, pulling out a zip-line rope and tethers. "Whoa. Uh-I guess we're zip-lining across." _And I am forever calling this the_ deus ex machine _bag._

  
"But where are we going?"

"Well, Draxum did say to check the mosquitoes' progress. I say we tail them for a bit and find a base of operations." Mikey nods, and together they hook up the zip-line. Mikey goes first, swinging across and screeching with excitement. He lands safely over a small hidden part of a park. Donnie hooks himself up. He hesitates for a moment, looking down at the hotel. He's hardly ever left before. _But Draxum's counting on us,_ he thinks. _We have to do this. Or we'll never be allowed to leave ever again._ Warm air rushes past, and he adjusts his mask. _Let's do this._

He steps off, and _boy_ is it sudden. He begins to zip-line across, wind rushing past him in an exhilarating way. He can't help but grin, and he quickly slaps his hand over his mouth as he lets out an excited laugh, but it falls when he hears a yelp, and he looks down just in time to see Mikey's bag has fallen into the street below.

_"MIKEY!"_

"I'M SORRY - IT SLIPPED!"

"OH YOU ARE _SO DEAD_ WHEN I GET OVER THERE-!!"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 10/10 would have Mikey call Donnie Donathan again  
> Next Chapter: One can't go around mutating the city without having a hideout! So we're off with a mission to find a good base of operations.


End file.
